LeRoy Butler analyzes the Packers-Bears game

"When you get to the 20-yard line, that's when No. 88 should get every ball"

After each game, former Green Bay Packers all-pro safety LeRoy Butler teams up with Journal Sentinel beat writer Tom Silverstein in our "5 Questions with LeRoy Butler" feature. Butler appears on behalf of his charity, The LeRoy Butler Foundation (leroybutlerfoundation.org). Here is an excerpt of his analysis of the Packers' 21-14 victory over the Chicago Bears on Sunday.

Q: Given what a struggle it was against the Chicago Bears on Sunday and the way they've been grinding through games during their five-game winning streak, do you think the Packers are playing like a playoff team right now?

A: I think they're playing very well - good enough to get away with an average kicker; good enough to overcome some penalties; good enough that they're winning with injuries. This shows a good team. I'm excited because they're finding ways to win instead of finding ways to lose. And right now, in the NFC, New Orleans probably should have lost a couple of games, but they found ways to win. No team in the NFC scares me. I think this team is healthy, they're younger than everybody, so endurance isn't a problem. They're very well-coached and they know who they are on offense and defense. Special teams is hurting them, but they're good enough to get away with it. Everybody wants to win games 55-0 or 48-14, but when you can win the ones on the road, 21-14, ugly wins - Aaron Rodgers, 180 yards throwing - that's important.

Q: Aren't you concerned that without cornerback Al Harris they're thin in the secondary, and probably not as good, their offense can't seem to score in the red zone, and their kicker is in a slump? Aren't those areas going to be exposed when they hit the playoffs?

A: Not at all, and let me tell you why. The Saints have the same problem the Packers do. They had to bring in two guys who were injured with knee injuries in Mike McKenzie and Chris McAlister. The Giants had some problems with their secondary and so have the Eagles. And Minnesota's secondary, you can throw on them. The Packers have the No. 2 defense. I'd put that defense out there, with those deficiencies, against anybody. I'm just confident because these guys are going to get better. Don’t forget, they were 6-10 last year. They’re 9-4 and control their own destiny. They don’t need any team to win and any team to lose. They just have to try to win the rest of the games. It starts with Pittsburgh. You go in there and try to dominate them like you did the last five weeks.

Q: What did you think of the Packers' decision to sign linebacker Brandon Chillar to a contract extension? He's the first prominent free-agent-to-be that they've signed since the season started. Were you surprised to hear he was the first one and what did you think of the decision to sign him to a long-term deal?

A: I wasn't surprised at all because I know they like Brandon Chillar. But that being said, if there was any money being spent, it should have been on 3-6 (Nick Collins). No deal should have been gotten until 3-6 was done. He should be top priority. Maybe, just maybe, the philosophy could be to get the smaller guys done before you get to the big fish. If that's the case, it needs to be communicated. But there is no dialogue. You have to have dialogue with Nick Collins directly and his agent. You have to say, "Look, we're going to take care of you. We just don't know when and we just don't know how much. But we will take care of you." History has shown that Ted Thompson will take care of his guys, and 3-6 is one of his guys.

Q: What was your impression of defensive coordinator Dom Capers’ so-called “Psycho” package, where he used one down lineman, five linebackers and five defensive backs? They did it because they were a little thin on the defensive line. Do you think it worked and is it something they can continue to do or is it a one-time thing?

A: First of all, when I first saw it, I was jealous that we didn’t have that defense when I was playing. My second thought was that the coaching staff is a lot smarter than everybody gives them credit for. Not only is it a great defense because the linemen can’t initially point out who is the danger, which way is a guy going, what gap is he going to, how many are coming, how many are dropping? You don’t know. It’s a guessing game. If you guess wrong, you’re going to get your quarterback hurt. If you guess wrong, your running back is going to lose two yards. If you guess wrong, there’s going to be an interception. So, I like it. I was just excited to see new wrinkles. It’s a change-up. It’s not something you stay in all the time. The most you may do it is three times a game. Offenses will catch on. They can quick-snap the ball before the defense can diagnose which area that you’re going. You can catch them on their heels a little bit. And the more the Packers do it, the more you can game plan for it and can figure out ways to attack it. You caught the Bears off guard, but you probably won’t catch the Steelers off guard because they’ll practice for it.

Q: Why is the offense having so much trouble finishing drives?

A: When you get to the 20-yard line, that's when No. 88 should get every ball. Jermichael Finley is a bad matchup for every defensive back and linebacker in the National Football League. You have to figure out ways to get him the ball. And you have to get Spencer Havner involved. You have to go to your three-tight end, one-receiver set. You have to go to different sets and give the defense more to think about. The more receivers you put out there with an empty backfield the more crowded it gets in the red zone. So you try to eliminate that by putting more tight ends out there than receivers. Put your best receiver out in that group. If he draws one-on-one, you exploit it. I'd like to have Finley used everywhere but inside the 5-yard line unless he's going to be split out right and you're going to throw a fade or a fade-stop to him with a back shoulder throw. In fact, from inside the 20 he should get every ball because he's just a bad matchup for everybody. I didn't get upset that they didn't score a lot of points against Chicago. I just wanted them to win the game. The Packers are a smart team. They knew they just had to win that game and get no one injured to get to where they need to be. It's a late-season win and that's what should be important to people.